Two and a half years after taking the reins of Meaford’s sole grocery store, owners Pina and Kevin Godard have completed a renovation and remodelling to Godard’s Your Independent Grocer.
The renovations were announced in June of this year, and were completed in late November. The Godards celebrated the completed renovations on November 29, with staff, customers, and local dignitaries.
“This journey spanned over six months and included investment in more energy efficient lighting, refrigeration, and expanded food assortment and services. During this time, we had great support from our whole team and community which made this journey more enjoyable,” Pina Godard told The Independent. “One of our Indigenous Produce employees started it off with a land acknowledgement. During the event, we were graced by Mayor Ross Kentner and presented two cheques to the local Food Bank and Georgian Bay Community School. We were also pleased to have the Meaford Hospital Foundation here where we helped them launch their new ‘TipTap’ donation tool.
The renovations include larger meat and produce sections, along with expanded offerings in their Meals-to-Go section.
“Although we didn’t knock down any walls and make the store larger, through the remodel of the existing footprint we were able to offer some amazing changes. Some of these that we’re excited to bring is an expanded fresh offering with a larger Meat and Produce sections, an amazing Cake Counter in Bakery and expanded Meals-to-Go offerings,” Godard explained. “We also added linear footage to the Grocery department to bring in expanded assortments that we’ve been continuously working on the last two-and-a-half years and a new multicultural offering, bringing the best assortment from across the globe! While we’re excited about the expanded offerings in international foods, we’re proud to support our local vendors like My Daddy’s Soup, Ashanti Coffee, Gingerbug Drinks, Beaver Valley Maple Syrup, and many others.”
Pina and Kevin Godard came to Meaford from Rockwood in June of 2022. They were determined to keep the same small-town community approach to their business that they had come to appreciate in Rockwood. They started their careers in the grocery business at a very young age. Both have had a combination of in-store experience, marketing experience, and experience with both vendors and retailers in the food industry.
“We’re fortunate to be part of such an amazing community and love it here in Meaford! We hope you’re excited about these changes, and if any of you have requests for items, or need a hand to find a specific item, please ask us or any of our amazing staff members. We want your shopping experience to be the best!” said Pina Godard. “Throughout the renovation, we continue to work hard to deliver value and service to our customers through our weekly flyer features and with programs like Hit of the Month, Price Drop, Flash Sales, and Members Only Pricing to name a few.”
